I had one of my readers send me this graphic. Thought I’d share.
The Life and Death and Life of the U.S. Auto Industry.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
I had one of my readers send me this graphic. Thought I’d share.
The Life and Death and Life of the U.S. Auto Industry.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Every now and then it’s not about cars, racing or banging on car fenders. But it’s always about Words.
Although this is a bit about cars, because this popped into my head when I was reading the book “A Most Unique Machine” by George S. May. Any excellent read if you like the history part of this passion of ours – cars.
In the book they grab excerpts of real period accounts and news articles about the dawn of the auto industry in the United States – which was mid morning to the rest of the world – as we were behind many European countries.
These excerpts came from a time when words stood lone. Words like ‘marvelous’, ‘wonderful’ and ‘unique’. The use of these words meant some thing back then. They were reserved words, used to emphasize important events or objects. The word ‘unique’ really meant something special. Here’s an example from the Detroit Journal: ‘when in motion, the connecting rods fly like lightning, and the machine is capable of running seven or eight miles an hours…a most unique machine.’
This excerpts is a description of Charles King’s evening joy ride in his gas powered horseless carriage in March of 1896. Of his version of the car he said…”I am convinced they (horseless carriages) will in time supersede the horse.”
Back then words such as ‘fly like lightning’ or even words like ‘capable’ and ‘unique’ were as good as it got. If someone called you ‘capable’ that was high praise as was ‘unique’ and if you supersede someone or something it meant you were the best. In today “drama – filled, I need attention writing these are lame words.
Can you image describing the winning top-fueled drag car – fast as lightning? Certainly not (hell no) it would be friggin’ fast.
Words meaning have been muted by adjectives and adverbs.
Ok on to my next audacious, awesome filled, friggin’ outstanding article.
Thanks for reading,
Tim
Gary, Indiana, 1958 | Hemmings Daily.
I just had to share this photo from Hemmings.
So is it Montgomery Ward or Montgomery Wards? That little quirk of midwestern English gets so many English fundamentalists worked up, but as we can see from this photo of the parking lot of the newly opened Montgomery Ward(s) in Gary, Indiana, sometime in 1958, as found on Pleasant Family Shopping‘s excellent post on the mid-century history of the chain store, even the company seemed a little schizophrenic about its naming convention. What do you see here?
Thanks for reading
Tim
Whether you like chopped, dropped or lowered car or not (they really aren’t my thing) you have to marvel at the workmanship that goes into one. This Lincoln is unbelievable.
Car Feature: Jacobo Herrera’s Lincoln Is “The Missing Link” – RodAuthority.com.
When it comes to popular customs and lead sleds, one car stands above the rest as far as the most iconic in the industry, at least for most. After all, the 1949 Merc is no stranger to the hobby and finds itself accompanied by many of its same kind at virtually any show you attend. But just because the late 40s Mercury is one of the more notable lead sled designs amped up by today’s popularity doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have some stiff competition out there for the most gorgeous low-slung design.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Any one out there remember Drive-Ins? I sure do. We went to more drive-in movies when I was a kid than we did theater movies. I remember the back of our Chevy wagon and one of my favorite sounds was the sound of cars driving slowly over gravel. It was great to stretch out in back with the seats folded down and watch the movie. (I can even remember the list of the movies I saw back then.)
But as we all know – Drive-Ins are fading into the past, sadly. However, there is an effort to save them. I read the magazine AutoWeek ….I love this publication, and they had a piece that mentioned Project Drive-Ins. Apparently, Honda is working on funding to replace the old film projectors with digital projection.
Check out the video and pass it on!!!!
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Curb Weight is frequent blathering of car stuff – current and maybe some old stuff. I hope you enjoy it.
If you are a car show buff and painful attention of fender/door gaps is what you are into then you’ll be glad to hear that a Packard 1106 Twelve won the Pebble Beach Concours car show.
The 1934 Packard started life as a Taxi in Puerto Rico. That is a long road to winning a Concours event.
Other winners were:
1934 Hispano-Suiza J12 Vanvooren – what?
This –> |
1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Va den Plas
Last but not least a 1932 Lincoln KB
Thanks for reading.
Tim
I love hood ornaments. The big heavy chrome or chrome on pot-metal ones, that let you know that the car behind it was something special.
Now days if your car is lucky to have one, your hood ornament will be a cheap chrome coated plastic with a flexible base. But I’m betting, if you walk around to the front of your car and look at it straight on, you will fine a 2D plastic logo belonging fixed as part of your grille.
But the older ones helped identify the car and gave you an indication of what the engineers had as an inspiration for the building rest of the car.
I have a few. Started as a photo project my son started. Check them out, I have them for no other reason than I liked them.
Check them out.
I don’t have a favorite, well maybe the Chevy ornaments.
Got a couple laying around on or off a car? Drop me a note.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
So it’s Labor Day Weekend. The unofficial end of summer. (I’m guessing it’s because there isn’t another holiday until November – no one celebrates Columbus day any more).
End of summer or not we took a quick trip to a small town south of here and of course on a beautiful Arizona day (80 degrees and sunny) the classic cars come out.
Take a look:
I love the panel truck
My favorite: The tear drop headlight brightwork
Well done Ford Deluxe Delivery.
The Deluxe coupe had the save great lines as the other.
Little bit further down the street ran in to this beauty!!
Come on!! Don’t tell me you don’t want jump on this Trail 90 and pop some wheelies right there in the parking lot!!!!
Here’s nice looking 427 parked outside the food ‘co-op’.
Here a little clip of Andy’s Corvette Hall of Fame induction.
Then there were these great looking classics out on the street.
And what’s a road trip without a peak in a couple of backyards to see what might be stashed there. Check this one out:
O.K. Now you now you want to climb in to our neighbor’s backyard and see what he’s got, don’t you? Send me pick when you do!!!!!
Thanks for reading.
Tim